Indicating push-button.



W. R. SGHLAGE.

INDIGATING PUSH BUTTON.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1913.

1,085,826. I Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

I WITNESSES: v INVENTOR I 3mm, 1). $42; m

WALTER R. SCHLAGE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

INDICATING PUSH-BUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 121%..

Application filed March 5, 1913. Serial No. 752,021.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \VALTER R. SCI-ILAGE, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of SanFrancisco and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Indicating Push-Buttons, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a push-button structure provided with meansadjustable to indicate the presence or absence of the occupant of theroom, oflice, or residence, in conjunction with which the signalapparatus or push-button system is utilized.

It is one of the important objects of the present invention to provide asimple, practical, inexpensive means, so arranged in conjunction with apush-button, that notice can be given to persons operating or about tooperate the button of the presence or absence of the occupant of thebuilding or other apartment.

Another object of the present invention is to design and provide anartistic structure which can be manipulated in a simple manner withoutrequiring the expert manipulation or careful examination as to theposition of the parts, and which device is so constructed that when itis adjusted to have a normal appearance of anordinary push-button theindicator features will be substantially invisible.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of the improved push-button adjusted in its normalnon-indicating position. Fig. 1 is a side elevation and partial sectionof the device. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device with theindicator adjusted to expose the indicating sign or character. Fig. 3 isa rear view of the button casing and the turnable ferrule or shutter.

The present invention consists of an indicator, formed in part by thestamped or otherwise formed cover or shell 2. The cover or shell .2 isperforated at 3 for the reception of screws or other fastening devices tby which it may be applied or fastened to the wall casing or otherstructure upon which the apparatus may be installed. The shell 2 has ahousing or chamber part 5, centrally perforated, as at 6, through whichmay extend a push-button 7 of the usual or well-known type controlling asystem not necessary to be shown in the present case. The casing orhousing 5 of the shell 2 has a frusto-conoidal crown portion 8, in asuitable part of which is formed by any suitable method a word or seriesof characters, in the present instance consisting of the word Out.

The invention further consists in combination with the housing part 5 ofthe ush-button cover or shell 2, a shutter or errule 10 which has ashape or form conforming closely to the shell or housing part 5, overwhich the ferrule is turnably fitted, so that the push-button 7 willproject normally through a central aperture 11 of the shutter 10. Thefrusto-conoidal portion 12 of the shutter 10 is provided with asegmental aperture 13 through which, when the shutter 10 iscircumferentially moved about the shell body portion 5, the word Out, orother insignia to be exposed, will appear.

The present indicator is so designed as to have an artistic appearance,and so formed that it will not have ordinarily a very differentappearance from the usual push-button shell or cover, as 2, so that toall outward appearance when the shutter 10 has been adjusted about theshell 2 to cover the indicating characters or words on the cover, theindicating characteristics of the device will be so disguised as toavoid the attraction of attention. This is accomplished by forming theshutter 10 to conform closely to the general finish and form of the bodyportion 5 of the push-button cover or shell 2. It is only when theshutter 10 is revolved so as to bring the aperture 13 uppermost and overthe characters to be exposed, as the word Out for instance, that theindicating feature of the device is visible, and when so turned thepresence of the shutter 10 is Oil not readily discernible from the restof the structure, because of the close similarity of the shutter to thepush-button shell.

Preferably the indicating character, as the word Out, is placed at theuppermost portion of the push-button cover and the turntable shutter ismovable in an arc.,of approximately 180 from an uppermost position withits aperture over the indicating characters to the lowermost positiondiametrically below, and in which position the aperture is practicallyconcealed from a point of view at the usual height of a persons eyeabove the axis of the device.

The turnable shutter is provided with means for limiting its uppermostand lowermost positions. This means comprises a small lug 14 punchedinwardly from. its aperture ll and turned or hooked backwardly over thecontigimus edge of the aperture 6 of the housing 5, so that it will. beintercepted in its anguh movement by stop lugs 15 punched inwardly onopposite sides from the top of the housing 3; the lugs and hookcooperating to prevent further movement in either direction oi? theshutter, with relation to the housing 5, after the shutter has beenturned to one or the other 01": its relative positions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. An indicating structure for push buttons and thelike, including a frusto-conoidal housing with its axis horizontal andprovided with a central opening for a push button and having anindicating character inscribed on the upper portion of the conicalsurface, a similarly shaped superposed, tiu'nable shutter having anaperture which may register with the housing character and when turned180 on the housing will be invisible from above, lugs struck in from thecentral wall of the housing, and a counterstop on the shutter adapted tolimit the motion of the shutter by engagement with the lugs.

2. An indicating structure for push buttons and the like, including afr!isto-coi'ioidal housing with its axis horizontal and provided with acentral opening for a push button and having an indicating characteriuscribed on the upper portion of the conical surface, a similarlyshaped, superposed, turnable shutter having anapertuii-e which mayregister with the housingcharacter and When turned 180 on the housingwill be in visible from above, lugs struck in from the central wall ofthe housing, and a counterstop on. the shutter adapted to limit themotion of the shutter by engagement With the lugs, said stop hookingbeneath the edge of the central opening and holding the shutter on.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

l VALTER R. SCHLAGE.

lVitnesses FRANK DU FRANIG, FRANK GEARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

